Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/iii/paper-57/4/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 57 4 Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Work in the supplied Planck units and write . The nonzero components of the Kähler metric and its inverse areThe Kähler covariant derivatives of a superpotential areIn the supergravity F-term potential, cancels its negative universal term. This is the no-scale supergravity identity. The exact answer is thereforeIn particular is a global minimum for every in the domain, with zero vacuum energy.
Use the standard convention for a supergravity auxiliary field, . In this conventionAt the minimum these becomeThus supersymmetry breaking occurs if , despite the vanishing vacuum energy. Indeed is precisely canceled by the negative gravitino contribution. For the asserted breaking does not occur: both supergravity auxiliary fields vanish at , so this vacuum is supersymmetric.
For completeness, the full set of finite zero-energy minima includes additional branches. For , the condition reduces, after factoring , toFor every there is a unique positive solution of , since the left side increases strictly from zero to infinity. There are three associated phases,These also give , and on each branch . Consequently but , so these are also supersymmetry breaking no-scale vacua with a cubic matter superpotential. A supersymmetric finite vacuum would require , hence , and then ; this is possible only at with .
The scalar potential is independent of everywhere. On every zero-energy vacuum branch it is also independent of , so both real components of are flat directions of a scalar potential at the vacuum. Away from , the real direction is not flat: , giving a runaway towards rather than a finite positive-energy stationary point. The zero-energy branches have no continuous flat direction of a scalar potential in ; their allowed values are isolated. This is why the vacuum does not select a unique numerical gravitino mass: the modulus is unfixed.
The gravitino mass from a superpotential is . On the conventional branch,On a nonzero- branch it is insteadWhen , the only finite zero-energy matter solution is and , with unbroken supersymmetry. These results exhibit the distinction between vanishing vacuum energy and vanishing supersymmetry breaking auxiliary fields in a no-scale supergravity model.
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